Today I am linking up with Jacquelyn for the first ever “Tip Tuesday” link up! This week is “blogging tips.”
There are a lot, and I mean A LOT, of posts out there about blogging. How to get the most traffic, how to use pinterest to help your blog, how to organize your blog the right way, how to sell ads, how to not sell ads… the list goes on and on. Some of these posts are super helpful of course, but it does get tiring reading the same old advice. Also, it’s hard to apply ALL this advice to your blog, especially those of us in the “lifestyle” blogger group.
So, my tips here are more like anti-tips.
AKA:
“Why my blog will never be “blog famous”
1. SEO optimization: This has to do with search engines and helping people find your blog through searching for key terms. The problem is, your blog post have to be 200 words or more and contain certain key words for the search engines to pick them up. I refuse to write “extra” words in my post just so my blog will be picked up by search engines. If I write a long enough post, that’s great! But I am not going to add extra words and completely change my posts just for SEO. I generally write short and to the point, so I am probably missing a lot of traffic by not meeting this 200 word minimum. So be it!
2. Find your “niche”: One of the biggest “how to blog” tips out there is to find your niche. Well, my blog (and many others that I have seen!) we just don’t have a niche. Is blogging about my life a niche? Because, that is what I am expert on! I am not an expert on cooking, or travel or parenting or fashion, although I do love to write about those things! I don’t focus my entire blog on one single niche topic, and I honestly think that’s okay. But it probably won’t help me become blog famous.
3. Self promotion. This is something I kind of have a hard time with. I feel bad “over promoting” and feel like I am bothering people. I do have plenty of places on my blog that people can follow me, share my post and sign up for emails! (good advice for all blogs of course!) But, I don’t want to constantly bombard people with tweets and Facebook updates! On the other hand, the number one way that I read blog post on other blogs? Clicking over from twitter or facebook! So, I need to start utilizing these tools more on my own blogs! Pinterest is another big one for promoting your blog, if you remember to pin your post and share them!
So, if you are looking for real blog tips here is one that I think is really important (and really cliche).
It’s: “be yourself.” Whatever that means to you. It’s your life and your blog! Do what is best for you, choose the layout you like, choose the niche you prefer or none at all, choose to sell ads or to not- it’s completely up to you! I want my blog to represent ME and my life, and if that means I’ll never be “blog famous” then that’s okay, too!
Check out some other blogging tips over at Tip Tuesday!
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Let’s connect!
too funny – I just blogged about why I was a bad blogger the other day and this post is kinda like that! Guess I'm never going to be blog famous either! haha!
badluckjenn.blogspot.com
I LOVE this! I was hoping someone would take the "not quite a tip" tip approach. Also, love your picture! I get it 😀
Rachel, that is why I read your blog every day because you are YOU and your blog is a representation of your life. I like blogs like yours because they are the jack-of-all-trades blogs…a little big about everything. My blog is that as well.
I dont care about fashion or that you got drunk over the weekend. I want quality content. Why is that so hard to find right now???? I want to hear personal stories and how you overcame struggles.
Today I'm starting a series on online dating. I'm totally putting myself out there but I hope it will be worth it for some readers. I know they would probably care about that more than what I did over the weekend.
Ginny
http://www.buttergirldiaries.com
I love this post! I too suffer from sometimes writing things short and sweet lol Stopping by from the linkup today!
Perfectly put!
I agree with you on all counts! I'd love to have a big blog, but I'm not willing to do all the extra work, plus I refuse to compromise the reason I started blogging- for fun:) that's why I'm perfectly content being a small fish.
For me I never really cared about being blog famous. It's just not happening! I blog for me and I blog for things I love. Whether it be my kids, husband, or art. Though one of the perks I wouldn't mind is attending some conferences..and that is because it would be cool to meet some people who love blogging as much as I do.
great tips/non-tips. i've tried to figure out a niche too but end up just blogging about my life as well. probably won't make me blog famous but that's ok (for now.) 🙂
— jackie @ jade and oak
I love this! I am writing about SEO over at Modern Commonplace Book – and I am sure there are some things you can do to make your seo happy 🙂
Your final tip is SO true! I think we all struggle with that – so thanks for the reassurance 🙂
Ginny
http://www.moderncommonplacebook.com
thanks, rachel! i'm a newbie and some of this stuff is crazy overwhelming 🙂 i think i'll end up being niche-free as well!!
Great post 🙂 I don't have a niche either, but I like it that way!
great tips…lifestyle is a niche 😉 or attemting fashion blogers…also a niche 😉